Three months to go and counting!

Less than three months to go! I`am trying to complete my DYI projects. Everytime I log on to weddingbee, I find something else to do! I switched up my wedding invites. By the time I completed 50 pocket invites, I was so stressed out! I ditched the pocket folds, then purchased 100 pocket folds from paper and more! I downloaded an invite and a RSVP card from weddingclipart.com. I blinged them out, then I made some inserts for the pockets! Commercial invites are preloaded from a program then they personalize for you and print them on card stock. I requested some samples from PaperDivas and other companies. Trust! I was not impressed!
I do not mind spending money, but I refuse to spend a lot of money on things that people will throw out! Invites are one of them!
Any how, My invite are complete and ready to be sent out Saturday!


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I`am so addicted to weddingbee! The site has so many great ideas from other DYI brides to be. The wedding magazines are useless unless you are looking for a wedding attire. They have no ideas for ceremony and reception. Martha Stewart`s wedding magazine is a joke. It `s like arts and crafts trying to marry vogue. Now and then, I may see one or two ideas that may have caught my eye. I`am not into shabby chic. You can have her!

Weddingbee had a great idea for my guest, song request cards! I decided to use some Avery index cards to create my cards. I down loaded images I found on google and placed them on my cards. Here are the results:



I also made pocket tissue packets called "tears of joy". There are people who cry at weddings, so I thought it would be a nice addition to the ceremony.
I bought clear bags from clear bags .com. Found leopard print tissues from amazon.com and I made my cards from vistaprint.com.

Since I was going to have my guest blow bubbles out side the chruch, I thought it would be nice to give the tissues and the bubbles together in a nice favor box. I downloaded a pillow box template in pink from download and print.com.


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Since I will have disposable cameras on each table, I decided to make "I Spy" cards.


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I even manage to complete a centerpiece for my mini candy station/ guest table!


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I found the cherry blossoms on clearance from Michael`s for $2.99 from $9.99. I took the blossoms off and spray painted the branches silver, the placed the blossoms back on the branches. I went to Hobby Lobby and found acrylic crystals to hang on the branches. I filled the trumpet vase with large and medium acrylic gems.

My job is so demanding! Who would think I would have time to DYI! Making these things help to eliminate stress! Now, If I can continue to keep focus with my projects without changing them, I should be complete with everything by the end of June!

Have Faith and Believe~

Blessings to you!

JUMPING DA BROOM!

I have always been intrigued with the tradition of jumping the broom! I said if I ever got married, I would incorporate this tradition in my wedding!

The tradition of jumping of the broom stems back to Africa and the early days of slavery in the United States.

In Africa, the broom was used to symbolize "sweeping away oneness in order for two to become one" It also symbolizes the new bride`s willingness to keep the shante clean while her husband (the warrior) was out defending their land and providing for the family.

During the darkest hour of slavery, the slaves were considered property. As such, the law forbid them to marry. The slave owners did everything that they could to discourage family units from evolving.

Nevertheless, love always prevailed.

To marry (or "sweep away oneness in order to become one"), slaves adopted the African tradition of "jumping the broom" to symbolize their marriage before their friends and God.

To pay homage to my grandparents and their parents Mr Chocolate and I will be jumping the broom!

Do It Yourself Swarovski Crystal Monogram Cake Toppers

When I started looking at photos of wedding cakes, I saw a cake topped with a bling monogram. I immediately googled monogramed cake toppers. I was appalled with the prices! $225 for a three letter monogram cake topper! Are they on crack?!

The price did not deter me. I was sure some bride out there had some info on this project! I was right! Chocolate brides DYI! I went to craftcuts to purchase my Monogram. I purchased one 5" letter S, one 3" letter C and a 3" letter T in the brock script font. The font was considered a special order. I paid $15 additional. The total cost was $22.

I sprayed the letters with a primer and then with silver spray paint. The next day, I bought 3", 4". and 5" flat back swarovski crystals. With the assistance of gem tac glue, an rhinestone applicator and a Q-tip, I went to work! When I was finished with crystalizing one side of the letter, I painted the other side with silver sparkle paint. I also primed and painted wooden hearts that I purchased at Walmart for the bases to stand the letters on.

I was happy with the results! It was not hard at one you get the hang of it!

Next Project: personalized aisle runner!

Martha Stewart Escort Card Board!

To personalize my wedding, My lap top has become my boyfriend! Aside from Mr Chocolate, my laptop has been my constant companion! I can be with boyfriend surfing the net all day and not find what I `am looking for!

Martha Stewart is a bit shabby chic for my taste, but occasionally, she will post something of some use!

On, her website, I discovered this escort card board. What a nice Idea!


My pink & Leopard escort card board

THE DIVA WEDDING!

My favorite color is pink and silver. I also love leopard prints and anything that sparkles. I love classics, like pearls, too! I knew this wedding had to incorporate these things without it looking out of place. I googled leopard themed wedding, with very little results. I wanted pink and silver, but I had to have leopard. I wanted bling and pearls, but I did not want things to look gaudy. They say your invites should dictate your wedding theme, but I could not find invites that had anything with leopard print. When I found an invitation, they did not have pink and they were not a pocket invite. Refusing to change my theme I decided I had to go the Do It Yourself route to get what I wanted!

I Began to check out pocket invites. They wanted close to $500! WHAT!? ARE THEY CRAZY! I refuse to pay that for a piece of paper that will eventually get tossed in the garbage can! I decided to google DYI wedding pocket invites and discovered the wedding bee and project wedding

When I found the type of pocket invites I wanted, I took a trip to Michael`s and AC Moore. There, I discovered the world scrapbook. I bought light pink textured paper and found leopard print paper. I made a small 5x5 pocket and realized I could not fit what I wanted in it. One day, I was shopping at Walmart. They had some pocket invites on clearance. I bought the set and took the pocket folder apart to use as a template. The paper was not long enough to make the complete pocket folder, so I cut the triangle part of the pocket out of the leopard paper and glued it to the pink paper. To hide the seam, I purchased a roll of bling from Michael`s. This is what I came out with!

Template

Pocket Invite

The pocket invites are 5x7" I purchased A71/2 envelopes and A2 envelopes for my RSVP from paper source

Whew! Those are finished! Now I had a problem cutting the actual inserts( RSVP, Reception and direction cards) evenly! I read on project wedding that one bride took her paper to staples to get cut. So I took mine to Office Max. I took 100 sheets of paper with the three templates. I also had them copy one sheet from THE GUESTBOOK STORE on 100 parchment looking card stock paper and cut to size. That only cost $17!

Inserts for Pocket Invites


Guest book page


I tried to find a scrapbook holder that had three rings. I ended up paying $18 for the binder and $8 for twenty plain and ugly sheets. Had I purchased all pages from the guestbook store I would have paid over $80!

I went to a closeout store called Big Lots and found a scrap booking machine called the cricut, for $70. (Its priced over $100.) This machine cuts different shapes. Since I wanted to get into scrap booking, this was a great start! I purchases two cartridges with wedding fonts and shapes. I went to work!


Place Cards



Save the dates






Table Numbers


I have to purchase a white table cloth so I can put everything together. I do not want to wait until my big day and not like the setup!

MOMMA`S DRESS

My mom has been waiting years for me to marry. Back in the day, I did not think being married was a big thing. Why have papers when you can just walk away without strings. After all, we lived together for 13 years! It wasn`t until my middle son ask me why did I not have the same name as he and dad? That comment had me lost for words! When I asked his father, he said why get married when we live together like we are! At that point, I begain to reassess my own values. That day was the beginning of the end!

After our relationship ended a few years later, I vowed to never live with a man unless he loved me enough to put a ring on it! Thirteen years later, I discovered why marriage is so sacred in God`s eyes! As a devoted born again Christian, If a evenly yolked man Christian man can love me as he does Christ, I will be loved, cherished and cared for as Jesus takes care of me!

Well, ladies I will tell you, My Chocolate makes me feel as loved and safe as The Lord does! Do understand that Chocolate knows God comes before him as he was informed! He said if God did not come first, I would not be the woman for him!

Enough said! LOL! My mom actually fell in love with the first dress I put on. It was a Casablanca model #1995

It`s a beautiful dress, but I`am wondering should I surprise her and wear this one for my ceremony for her. I have to pray on this one. This one is $1100. Don`t know if its worth it for a 45 min ceremony. I know mom is worth it!

RK Bridal- NYC, MY Review!

Today, my bridal party, my mom and I, visited RK bridal showroom
Based on the reviews on the net, I did not know how my experience was going to be. As everyone stated, when you arrive you put your name on the list and then you search the store until you find five dress. You wait until your name is called, then a bridal consultant will help you dress or suggest more dresses as needed.I also read that women had bad experiences with rude bridal consultant.

My nieces arrived at the store before my mother, my BFFs, and I. She place my name on the list. I arrived 30 minutes later. Within 15 minutes, an old grouchy woman called my name. Of course I had not been there long enough to select any dresses. When she heard that, she stated she was going to scratch my name off the list. Fearing for the bridezella syndrome, my MOH quickly asked for another bridal consultant.

Jo was a God send! she was so helpful and pleasant! I was so angry and disappointed. I drove 80 miles to discover, that they did not have one of the six dresses that I had planned to try on! They advertise that they have all dresses, but that was a lie! They carry most if not all of the bridal manufacturers, but they do not carry alot of the manufacturers style. It seem like they had most styles of the popular manufacturers such as Maggie Sottero. Then, they did not carry much of the current line.

Before you make the trip, make sure you call them to see if they carry the style of the manufacturer that you desire!

Pissed and changing into bridezella mode because they did not have the dresses I wanted to try on, my consultant, Jo quickly stood in to calm me down! All the dresses I selected at the shop did not work for me. Jo, left the dressing room and returned with three dresses. The first dress was beautiful, but I was not feeling it. My mom loved it. I was not sold! The second dress was a Sottero & Midgely: Adorae. From the moment I stepped in that dress, I knew that was the dress! Jo topped the dress with a rhinestone laced blusher veil. I walked out of the dressing room and my mom began to cry. My bridal party loved the dress! There were other customers who began to walk over to compliment me.

God works in unseen ways! If it were not for RK bridals not having the dresses and Jo being on point with my figure, I would have never considered this dress!



Sottero & Midgley: Adorae




Important Tips: For some reason, most of the wedding gowns fit small. Unless you are thin and are shaped like a board, expect to order a size larger. My dress was a size 12. It fit a little too snug. I ordered a size 14. I will begin to work out after the holiday season and will probably loose 5-10 pounds. It`s better to take the dress in than it not fit at all!

Expect to leave a deposit of at least 50% of the total cost of the dress. With tax the dress cost $1250. I had to leave a deposit of $500.

RK Bridal Policy

No checks are accepted for final payment
No cancellations
No returns
No refunds
All orders are final sale
No dress will be held past the original wedding date

If you choose bridal alterations,expect to dish out $350 along with three scheduled fittings! I will be looking for a local tailor that specializes in bridal wear.

What I learned with experience is to double check to assure that the bridal shop has the style you want to try on. Try your "dream dress" on before you settle on another dress. Even though I fell in love with Adorae and placed a deposit on it, I `am still wondering on how my" dream dress", Amber by impression bridal will look on me. To satisfy my curiosity, I decided to make an appointment with a local bridal shop to try the dress on. If the dress is a hit. I will have two dresses on my wedding day!

Blessings!